The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation continues the adventures of Princess Magnolia as she bravely fights off the monsters that regularly invade her idyllic kingdom. However, she is getting tired from fighting so many monsters. After the Goat Avenger suggests she take a vacation, she heads off to the seaside to enjoy the sand and sun.

Once again, Shannon and Dean Hale do an excellent job with a new tale of the Princess in Black. The story is fun and full of sleepy adventure. All of the characters are well established by now, and this story adds to the fun of the previous books. The monsters they come up with are creative and unique. They remind me somewhat of the creativity seen in Dr. Seuss books.

The gorgeous illustrations from LeUyen Pham just get better in The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation. I especially loved the sleepy fight scenes, and the sea monster design. Pham has a knack for clearly capturing the imaginations of the Hales and really bringing Princess Magnolia to life. The monsters are menacing in a non-menacing way. That sounds weird, but it all makes sense once you see them. Her style reminds me of the works of Cressida Cowell, the creator of the How to Train Your Dragon series.

If you like Shannon Hale’s other works, or you just love fun and adventurous princesses with secret identities, The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation is the book for you. The illustrations are bright and colorful, a beam of sunshine for a cold winter day. Dream of sunny beaches and sipping cool drinks, then pick up this fun book and read it aloud to your favorite child(ren).

Release Date: November 8, 2016 (USA)
ISBNs: 0763665126 (9780763665128)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Language: English

MySF Rating: Five point zero stars
Family Friendliness: 100%

Content:

Alcohol/Drugs: 0
Language: 0
Nudity: 0
Sexuality: 0
Violence: 1 (monster fighting, more goofy than anything else)

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